Shelving



Ju e 5, 1951 H, s, RHETT 2,556,105

' SHELVING Filed Sept. 26, 1947 Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to shelving and more particularly to light weight shelving of the type adapted to be affixed to the wall of a store, home or other building structure.

Many types of shelving for attachment to Walls or to be suspended from overhead structures of buildings have heretofore been designed, suggested and placed in use. For the most part the shelvings of the prior art which have been and are now actually utilized are of the rigid type involving the utilization of at least two horizontal shelf members and elements rigidly securing these shelf members together in fixed relationship, a single unitary structure thus resulting. The present invention provides shelving of somewhat diiferent character in that the elements which connect and support the sevcral individual shelves are of flexible nature so that the resulting shelving, while fully as useful as shelvings of the rigid type, is nevertheless collapsible or demountable, the flexible shelf suspending elements permitting the shelves to be brought into contact with each other and the shelving thereby collapsed, thus facilitating transportation, and facilitating storage when the shelving is not in use. The suspending elements may be readily removed entirely from the shelving, in the preferred construction, and may be separately packed so that a unit comprising a plurality of shelves and the necessary suspending elements may be packed in a flat box of small height.

The flexible suspending elements may be formed in various ways but are preferably chains of known type and which are readily available on the market. It is essential that each such element, whether a chain or other flexible instrumentality, be provided with a regular series of apertures formed therein, through which apertures securing devices may be passed. Each such securing device comprises a portion adapted to engage the undersurface of a shelf and a portion adapted to engage and interlock with the flexible suspending element at a chosen point along the length of that element. Where the shelves are fabricated of wood each is perforated at four points, i. e. adjacent the four corners thereof, for the passage of the flexible suspending elements and one of the securing devices is employed at each perforated corner of each shelf so that all four corners of each shelf are supported by one of such devices.

A preferred form of the device comprises a member the mid portion of which is in the form of a downwardly turned U, this mid portion being adapted to enter, from below, the perforation in the corner of a shelf and to interlock with the suspending element at a point which lies within that perforation, the securing device having two outwardly extending aligned end portions adapted to underlie and engage the undersurface of the shelf at the corner, and thus support that corner. The arrangement is such that each securing device may be readily passed through any link of the chain and by moving the device from point to point along the chain the distance between shelves can be adjusted to suit the needs of the user. If desired the securing devices may beprovided with barbs which penetrate the wood of which the shelf is formed so that, when placed in operative position, they may not be freely removed. In the usual case, however, it is desirable to have them freely removable for the purpose of ready adjustment as aforesaid.

Where the shelving is to be suspended from a vertical wall surface the upper ends of the two flexible elements at one end of the shelving are gathered together and attached by a single securing device to the wall, the outer element being inclined inwardly whereas the inner element is practically vertically disposed. The shelving as a whole thus tends to press itself against the wall. To prevent possible movement of the shelving relatively to the wall, however, the lower shelf or lower shelves may be provided with tabs, normally folded flat and positioned closely adjacent that edge of the shelf which is to contact the wall. After the shelf has been positioned the tab may be folded outwardly against the wall surface and a securing member such as a nail or tack may be driven through it and into the wall, thus holding the lowermost shelf against movement and stabilizing the entire structure. The tab is preferably so fabricated that it may be bent back to inoperative position, after removal of the securing device, if the shelving is to be moved.

By way of example one embodiment of the improved shelving is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a perspective view of the shelving, showing it suspended from securing devices ai-ixed to a vertical wall surface;

Figure 2 is a section through one corner of one of the shelves, the section plane including the of the perforation formed in that corner the chain and securing device associated therewith being illustrated;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one form of securing device;

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure l; and

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of securing device.

The shelving shown includes three shelf members l each fabricated of wood and rectangular in shape. Each shelf member i0 is perforated adjacent each corner, the perforations being cylindrical bores such as indicated at I I. The flexible elements which comprise the shelf suspending means are indicated at 12, there being four of these elements and each element passing through three vertically aligned perforations ll. Those portions of the suspending elements H. which are disposed above the upper shelf [0 are gathered together as shown, the upper end of each element i2 which is disposed close to the wall extending vertically upwardly to a securing element l3 of any suitable character, driven into the wall or afiixed thereto, and the upper end of the associated outer or forward flexible element being inclined rearwardly and attached to the same securing element. When the shelving is supported in this manner its center of gravity is outwardly of the wall surface and the shelves rest closely against the wall surface. If desired the lowermost shelf may be positively attached to the wall, the other shelves also in certain instances, one form of attachment device being 11- lustrated in Figures 1 and 5. A flexible metallic member I4 secured to the undersurface of the shelf member I!) adjacent the rear edge of that shelf, as by means of a nail or tack l5, member l4 being of ductile metal and doubled upon itself to provide a tab Ida which may be readily turned from the position in which it is shown in full lines in Figure to the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in that figure. When thus outwardly folded it lies flush against the wall surface and may be secured thereto by an additional tack or nail Hi. When the shelving is to be removed the nail It may be withdrawn and the tab Ma again folded to the position in which it is shown in full lines.

The several flexible elements are preferably chains and in the drawings are shown to comprise chains of well known type the individual links of which, indicated at 20, are provided with apertures 2| through which the securing devices may be freely passed. The securing device shown in Figure 4 comprises oppositely extending end portions 22 in axial alignment and an intermediate portion 23 in the form of an inverted U, the device being preferably formed of a single metallic wire or bar of small diameter by bending operations. Each'securing device is of such size that it may be readily passed through one or another of the apertures 2! in one of the chains It. and in Figures 2 and 3 such a device is shown in operative position. In such position the intermediate U-shaped member 23 lies wholly within the perforation II in the associated shelf If! and the two end portions 22 engage the undersurface of the shelf immediately adjacent the'perforation H. The arrangement is such that the flex ible suspending element or chain is definitely centered in the perforation through which it passes and it is likewise impossible for the securing device to become dislodged except when deliberate'dislodgment is effected for the purpose of adjusting the distance between shelves or dismantling the shelving for storage or shipment. Likewise the securing devices are concealed from view, at least substantially so, as the shelving is seldom placed sufiiciently high to make the supporting portions 22 of the securing device visible.

In the event that it is desired to provide securing devices which may be more or less permanently positioned with respect to the shelves with which they are used, the legs of the U- shaped midportion thereof may be provided with barbs and such a device is illustrated in Figure 6, the barbs being indicated at 25 and being adapted to embed themselves in the wooden side walls of the perforations ll into which they are inserted.

It will be appreciated that the flexible elements may have various forms, that the shelving may be fabricated of material other than wood, and that the securing devices may be slightly modified without departure from the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. Shelving comprising a plurality of shelves in a vertical series, at least the upper shelf thereof being perforated for the passage of flexible suspending elements, a plurality of flexible suspending elements for supporting said shelves, each such element being attached to the-lowermost shelf and passing through a perforation formed in each of the shelves above, and devices associated with said flexible elements for supporting each upper shelf upon the flexible elements passing through it, each such device com prising a member having a fiat narrow portion flushly engaging an undersurface of the associated shelf and a portion extending into the adjacent shelf perforation and interlocked with a the flexible element at a point within said perpending elements, a plurality of flexible suspending elements for supporting said shelves, each such element being attached to the lowermost shelf and passing through a perforation formed in each of the shelves, above, and devices associated with said flexible elements for supporting each upper shelf upon the flexible elements passing through it, each such device comprising two spaced flat narrow shelf engaging portions and an intermediate upwardly curved portion con.- necting said first mentioned portions, said first mentioned portions fiushly engaging an undersurface of the associated shelf and the said intermediate section extending into the adjacent shelf perforation and interlocked with the flexible element at a point within said perforation, said flexible suspending elements comprising chains,

the individual links of which are apertured for the passage of said supporting devices, the intermediate portions of said supporting devices extending through apertures in the associated chains and being removable for the purpose of adjustment.

HASKELL SMITH RHETT.

(References on following page) 5 REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the file of thls patent. 2,172Iss1 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,206,753 Number Name Date 916,785 Rowell Mar. 30, 1909 1,064,843 Marsh June 17, 1913 Number 1,749,497 McGlashan Mar. 4, 1930 21848 Name Date Traylor et a1 July 28, 1931 Willcox May 17, 1932 Plaks Sept. 12, 1939 Roth July 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1901 

